Posting the sane and insane news about the law and what otherwise strikes my fancy.
The opinions and commentary made by this author is solely his own. It does not reflect the opinion of any other individual or organization including the 83rd District Attorney's Office or Pecos, Brewster, Presidio or Jeff Davis Counties.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Have a nice day too!

McDonald's is (has?) going to get a bad reputation.

What was this off-duty manager thinking?

a. Its not her shift and

b. It was a service dog.

From the blog Bark around Town:

In case you didn’t know, service dogs are trained to accompany their charges everywhere – from school to restaurants to grocery stores – and are licensed to do so. They need to be allowed to do their job. (Note that a service dog and a therapy dog are not the same thing. A therapy dog is trained and certified, but needs to be invited into some place like a school. A service dog is allowed to go anywhere their human goes.)

1. No person shall be denied admittance to and/or the equal use of and enjoyment of any public facility solely because said person is a person with a disability and is accompanied by a guide dog, hearing dog or service dog.

2. For the purposes of this section the term “public facility” shall include, but shall not be limited to, all modes of public and private transportation, all forms of public and private housing accommodations whether permanent or temporary, buildings to which the public is invited or permitted, including those maintained by the state or by any political subdivision thereof, all educational facilities and institutions, including those maintained by the state or by any political subdivision thereof, all places where food is offered for sale, all theatres, including both live playhouses and motion picture establishments and all other places of public accommodations, convenience, resort, entertainment, or business to which the general public or any classification of persons therefrom is normally or customarily invited or permitted.

A Marietta McDonald’s manager has been fired after being accused of punching a mother who brought a service dog and her autistic children into the restaurant. Tiffany Denise Allen is charged with battery, assault, fear and disorderly conduct.

According to the warrant, Jennifer Schwenker entered the Marietta McDonald’s on Bells Ferry Road with her children and service dog on July 12. Allen was off dutry at the time and had her own child in the restaurant when she confronted Schwenker about the dog being in the restaurant.

Schwenker explained to Allen that the dog was a service dog and by federal law has the right to be in any public place including the McDonald’s. Allen continued to berate Schwenker, following her around the restaurant and even into a bathroom. During the incident, one of Schwenker’s twins disappeared. When the mother threw her cup to the ground and ran outside to look for her child, part of the drink soaked Allen’s pants.